1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known that an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, printer, or facsimile machine, has a configuration such that an automatic document feeder is mounted on a document placement board and, if there are multiple documents, the documents are separated one by one and are continuously delivered.
In the automatic document feeder, in some cases, a stamp, or the like, is printed on a delivered document for which image reading has been finished, whereby the document for which reading has been finished is distinguishable on the basis of the printed marking.
There is an automatic document feeder that includes a printing mechanism that has a configuration in which, a stamp device is provided in a chassis that is provided near a discharge roller included in the automatic document feeder, the stamp device faces the discharge roller, and part of the chassis is configured to open and close so that it can be removed to outside during replacement of a printing unit of the stamp device (For example, Japanese Patent No. 3345108).
A proposed configuration in which a stamp device is removable is such that, in an automatic document feeder that includes a slit glass for scanning while a document is conveyed, other than a contact glass for scanning while a document is placed, a frame including the stamp device is provided in the vicinity of the slit glass in an openable and closable manner, and the frame is opened when the stamp device is replaced so that the stamp device is exposed to outside (For example, Japanese Patent No. 3411438).
The stamp device that applies marking to a recording sheet is a unit that requires an operation to be performed from outside during replacement of a printing unit.
With the configuration disclosed in the above-described patent literatures, the stamp device is provided in a state where it faces a conveyance path of a recording sheet, and a conveyance path member that is used as the conveyance path or a frame that is provided associated with the conveyance path is opened during replacement of the printing unit so that the printing unit is exposed to outside; therefore, it is difficult to check the printing unit from outside.
Therefore, it is assumed that, during replacement of the printing unit, it is difficult to view a member of the conveyance path, in which the printing unit is provided, and the stamp device from outside and, if no instruction is given to open the conveyance path member or the frame during replacement, it is difficult to check the position of the printing unit; therefore, there is a possibility that a replacement operation takes a lot of trouble.
As the apparatus does not include a configuration that makes it possible to check the printing unit, it is necessary to perform an operation to determine the position of the printing unit by referring to, for example, the manual when an operator replaces the printing unit; thus, the replacement operation is troublesome.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an automatic document feeder that includes a simple configuration for determining the location of the stamp device and easily performing an operation to replace the printing unit.